The Miracle of You

“You refuse?” Christian repeated, though his tone didn’t seem to contain any anger. “Why?”

“I can handle the workload,” Camille said simply. “I don’t need an assistant.”

“Hmm. However, I have the authority and discretion to employ an assistant or additional support staff for you if I believe that the workload is constantly overwhelming,” he said thoughtfully. “It’s not an uncommon occurrence. After all, an assistant can help you manage your tasks and responsibilities. Isn’t it a good deal? Or is it the overtime pay that you’re looking for? If so, I can give you a raise.”Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Camille shook her head. “I don’t need a raise. I just want to work the way I always do. I don’t need any favors from you.”

“Ah, so that’s it.” Christian’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. “You don’t want to be indebted to me in any way.”

“I also prefer my environment to remain the same as much as possible,” Camille added calmly. “So I will have to politely refuse your offer.”

“Hmm. Smart girl.” Christian shrugged before making his way towards the elevator. “I’m not the type to force you, so for now I will comply with your response.”

‘For now?’ Camille repeated in her head as she stared at Christian’s retreating figure, his bodyguards trailing after him from behind.

‘He’s planning something new again. He just won’t stop, will he?’

Bitterly, she returned to her work. This was exactly why she couldn’t just let her guard down around him.

One wrong move, one wrong decision or one wrong reaction could possibly lead to her being suffocated even more. Her main goal – the most important thing of all – was to prevent Christian from gaining complete control over her.

She cherished her independence and her pride. After all, those were the only things she had left, no matter how little they were at the moment. She wasn’t going to become someone’s lifeless doll. That was not who she was.

Sighing, Camille buried herself in her work again, trying to keep the negative thoughts from clouding her mind.

***

The next day, Christian had her accompany him to go shopping in the afternoon, just as he had told her yesterday that they would be doing.

“I think you rather suit the color blue, don’t you think?” he mused as his gaze swept over the numerous dresses in the shop. “A dark shade of blue, to be precise. If you don’t want the gown that I had tailored for you, you can choose another one from here. These are limited editions.”

Camille shook her head. “I’m fine with the dress that you gave me. I don’t need anything more.”

“Ah, but a woman like you must want more. For the sake of your hidden beauty, you must stand out at the masquerade ball,” Christian said as he moved towards the rows of jewelry. “Which of these suit your fancy? There’s no need to worry about the price. I’ll pay for everything.”

‘What a gentleman,’ Camille thought sarcastically.

“I’m not a jewelry person,” she said calmly. “I don’t like any of them. They look too dazzling for my taste.”

“Unusual,” Christian murmured. “Women would usually squeal in joy at being offered something like this. How come you’re so different from all of them?”

“I’m not the materialistic kind.”

“Yes. That’s why you’re so interesting to me, Miss Parker.”

Camille stiffened slightly, and she cast him a glare. “What’s that supposed to mean? Not all women in the world are the same. We all have different tastes and interests.”

Christian shrugged. “But all of the women I’ve been with over the years are the same. They have quite the extravagant taste. I’m sure that deep inside, you like this kind of treatment as well.”

Suddenly, he took a step closer to her, near her personal bubble.

“Tell me the truth, Miss Parker,” he said, his voice dripping with honey. “Deep inside, you want to be treated like a princess, don’t you? You want all the wealth, the luxury brands, and all the services money can buy. You desire them secretly. You wish that you could give in to your real self and indulge in all of these tempting products. Isn’t that right?”

Camille stared back at him fearlessly. “Unfortunately, you’re wrong,” she said flatly. “My desires are different, and my standards are much lower compared to yours and all your women. Unlike you all, I have simple tastes and goals. I don’t care that much about beauty.”

Christian cocked an eyebrow. “Is that so? I don’t believe you.”

Camille restrained a huff. “I don’t care if you believe me or not. I don’t like the fact that you’re making presumptions about women and people in general. Sure, some women want beauty and power and all that, but there are also women who don’t care about that. You should correct your way of thinking.”

Christian shrugged, not seeming offended by her blunt words. “Well, isn’t that what every woman wants? To be beautiful. To be powerful and to have a wealthy, handsome man by their side. They want that feeling of absolute pleasure and contentment.”

He took another step towards her, causing her to get trapped against a nearby wall with no opportunity of escape.

However, despite that, the defiant look in her eyes never faded. It was one of the things that Christian found so intriguing about her.

“You can’t tell me that you don’t feel the same. It’s just human nature,” he continued on in a smooth voice, testing her further. “Deep inside, we are all selfish. There’s always something that we truly want. We crave beauty. We crave power. We crave happiness, both temporary and permanent. We crave satisfaction with our lives. Isn’t that correct? In the end, everything comes down to that emotion. That particular craving. Otherwise, there would be no meaning to life.”

He wanted to hear her response to this.

He wanted to see if the fiery look in her eyes would dim. He wanted to see if she was truly a hypocrite or if she was being genuine.

But Camille’s response was a calm smile.

“To an extent, yes,” she said. “But again, our standards are different. I feel like if I try to explain it to you, you still wouldn’t get it. So, if I say that I don’t crave such extravagance, I wish that you would respect that and leave it be. I crave happiness and satisfaction, but not in this way. I hope you understand me a little bit now.”

Then she slipped out of his space and went towards the other side of the room, leaving him standing there in thoughtful silence.

Christian chuckled.

He was right, after all.

This woman was the most intriguing person he had ever met in his life.